Stay Connected

Los Angeles-based Matthias Merkel Hess is a sculptor, potter, manufacturer, and merchandiser who uses his work to mess with boundaries, adopt multiple causes, and function in the art world as a gentle trickster. Best known for replicating plastic vessels such as milk crates and gas cans in clay, he also produces pottery and figurines and creates catalogs, advertisements, and marketing strategies. Equally interested in utility and futility, ultimately his work reaches toward the idea that art exists in museums, galleries, and as part of daily life. Merkel Hess's talk will cover the various facets of his work as well as his show, Things, which opens April 25 at Volume Gallery in Chicago.

A leader in educating artists, designers, and scholars since 1866, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) offers nationally accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees and post-baccalaureate programs to 3,200 students from around the globe. Located in the heart of Chicago, SAIC has an educational philosophy built upon an interdisciplinary approach to art and design, giving students unparalleled opportunities to develop their creative and critical abilities, while working with faculty who are the leading practitioners in their fields.